Continuous press.



T. G. FOWLER.

CONTINUOUS PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1909. RENEWED APR. 12.1916.

1,288,86%.. Pzgented Dec. 24,1918.

AME. "J 2. new

nnirsn srarns rarnnr oration THOMAS Gr. FOWLER, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS H. SYNON',

OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

CONTINUOUS PRESS.

Application filed March 10, 1909, Serial N0. 482,596. Renewed April 12, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TI-IoMAs G. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to presses for extracting oils or other liquids from animal, vegetable or mineral matter, and more particularly to that class of continuous presses in which the materials acted upon are forced through a compression cylinder by a pressure screw.

The objects of the invention are to provide a press of this character with improved means for preventing the rotation of the material being acted upon with the pressure screw, with an improved construction and arrangement of mechanism for feeding the material to the pressure screw, with means for breaking up the compressed material or cake as it is discharged from the compression cylinder, and with an improved and simplified construction of compression cylinder and pressure screw.

To these ends one feature of the invention contemplates providing the interior surface of the compression cylinder with longitudinally extending recesses or grooves into which the material is forced, so that proj ecting ribs are formed on the mass of material which cooperates with the recesses in preventing rotation of the material with the pressure screw, while allowing the material to move longitudinally of the cylinder as the screw rotates. The longitudinally extending recesses or grooves preferably extend con tinuously from one end of the compression cylinder to the other, so that the projecting ribs formed on the material may travel continuously along the grooves after the material is once forced out into the grooves. This construction is not essential, however, and the grooves or recesses may be interrupted or otherwise arranged without departing from the broad scope of the invention. The continuous grooves are preferable, however, since they may be more conveniently formed, offer less resistance to the longitudinal movement of the material through Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial N0. 90,776.-

the compression cylinder, and secure a more reliable and efficient hold upon the material for resisting the circumferential thrust exerted by the screw.

Another feature of the invention contemplates the provision of means for feeding the material to be acted upon axially into the end of the pressure screw. By this means the material is uniformly supplied to the annular space between the shaft of the screw and the compression cylinder, and the complete and compact filling of the spaces between the flights or threads of the screw is insured. The means for thus feeding the material axially into the end of the pressure screw preferably consists of a feed chamber, the discharge end of which registers with the receivinv end of the compression cylinder, and a feed screw which acts to force the material through the feed chamher. The feed screw is preferably arranged co-axially with the pressure screw, and the feed chamber is preferably an annular cham her, the discharge end of which is substantially the same in area as the annular space between the compression cylinder and the shaft of the feed screw at the receiving end of the compression chamber. This construction and arrangement is not essential, however, to the invention in its broader aspect, and the form of the feeding chamber may be varied, and the feed screw may be otherwise arranged, without departing from the broad scope of the invention.

A further feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a press provided with a compression cylinder and pressure screw, of means arranged at the discharge end of the compression cylinder for breakinoup the material or cake from which the ofi or liquid has been extracted as the material is discharged from the cylinder. Broadly considered, this feature of the invention contemplates the provision of any suitable means for thus breaking up the cake or material as it is discharged from the compression cylinder. In its preferred form this means comprises a scraper or knife arranged to rotate in front of the discharge end of the compression cylinder, and acting to shave or scrape off the'end of the compressed cake or material as it emerges from the end of the compression cylinder. This feature of the invention in its preferred form also contemplates the provision of an annular guard Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

surrounding the rotary scraper or knife, and

cylinder. By forming the escape ports or I perforations in this manner, a uniform distribution of the ports along the cylinder may be conveniently secured without weakenin the cylinder, and the plugs or nipples may loe arranged at comparatively small distances apart, so that a comparatively small travel of the liquid through the material in order to reach a port is required.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a hollow shaft for the pressure screw, and the provision of similar plugs or nipples for the escape of oil or other liquid into the space within the shaft.

The invention also includes certain further combinations and features of construction which are referred to in the claims, and the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig ure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing a press embodying the various features of the invention in their preferred forms; Fig. 2 is a transverse section; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33, Fig. 1, looking toward the left; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the casing forming the feed chamber.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the compression cylinder 1 and pressure screw 2 are arranged horizontally and are supported in the bed 3. As shown, the compression cylinder is provided with end flanges 4 and a central flange 5 which engage recesses formed in the end supports 6 and center support 7, and hold the cylinder firmly against longitudinal movement. The cylinder is retained in the supports 6 and 7 and is held from rotation, by straps 8 engaging flattened portions formed on the flanges 4 and 5. The flights or threads of the screw 2 are formed or secured upon a screw shaft 9 mounted to turn in suitable bearings formed in the base 3. As shown, the compression cylinder is provided with a bore of uniform diameter, while the screw shaft is tapered, the shaft being of comparatively small diameter at the entrance end of the compression cylinder, and gradually increasing in diameter toward the discharge end of the cylinder, so that the material is gradually compressed as it is advanced through the compression cylinder by the rotation of the screw.

The interior surface of the compression cylinder is provided with a number of corrugations or grooves 10 which extend longitudinally from end to end of the cylinder, and act to prevent the material from being carried around with the screw as it is rotated. When the material enters the receiving end of the cylinder it is forced out into the grooves 10 so that longitudinally extending ribs or projections are formed on the surface of the material which cooperate with the grooves in preventing movement of the material circumferentially of the cylinder. The material therefore is moved longitudinally of the cylinder as the screw rotates, and is subjected to an effective pressure between the surfaces of the cylinder and the screw shaft. The grooves act to effectively hold the material against rotation with the screw throughout its travel longitudinally of the compression cylinder without interfering with the efficient and uniform action of the flights or threads of the screw. These grooves also enable the screw threads to be so formed that they fit snugly within the bore of the compression cylinder from one end of the cylinder to the other, so that a uniform and eflicient action upon the material is insured.

The material to be acted upon is fed to the receiving end of the compression cylinder through an annular feed chamber 1l,the delivery end of which registers with the end of the compression cylinder, so that the material is forced axially into the end of the compression cylinder, and a uniform sup ply about the annular entrance of the cylinder is insured. In the form shown the feedchamber 11 is formed within a casing 12 which is secured to the end of the compression cylinder. The casing is provided with a conical bore, the smaller delivery end of which is substantially the same in diameter as the bore of the compression cylinder. A feed screw 13 is mounted to rotate upon the shaft 9 of the pressure screw, and is provided with threads or flights 14 fitting within the conical bore of the casing 12. The sleeve on which the threads 14 are carried is preferably conical, and of such varying diameter that the annular space between it and the bore of the casing 12 contracts toward the delivery end of the feed chamber 11, as indicated in Fig. 1. The casing 12 is cut away at its upper side to form a supply opening 15 through which material may be delivered to the feed screw. The arrangement of the flights or threads of the feed screw is preferably the opposite to that of the threads or flights of the pressure screw, as indicated in the drawings. That is to say, if the pressure screw is a right-hand screw, as indicated in the drawings, the feed screw is preferably a left-hand screw. The feed screw is driven by means of a sprocket chain passing over the sprocket wheel 16 which is secured to the sleeve 13 of the screw. The feed screw is driven in a direction opposite to that in which the pressure screw is driven, and at such a speed that the material is forced into the end of the pressure screw at a rate to keep the screw compactly filled with material. The interior of the casing 12 is provided with longitudinally extending recesses or grooves 17 similar to the grooves 10 in the compression cylinder for preventing the rotation of thematerial with the feed screw, and insuring the longitudinal movement of the material into the end of the compression cylinder as the feed screw rotates.

As the compressed material from which the oil or liquid has been extracted is discharged from the annular space between the screw shaft and the compression chamber at the dischar e end of the compression chamher, it is acted upon by a. knife or scraper 18 arranged to rotate about the screw shaft in front of the discharge end of the compres sion cylinder. As shown, this scraper is carried by a disk pulley 19 mount-ed to rotate upon the screw shaft 9. The space between the end of the compression cylinder and the pulley is inclosed by an annular guard 20 which is provided with a circumferential opening 21. As the knife or scraper 20 is rotated, it scrapes or shaves off the end of the compressed cake as it emerges from the end of the compression cylinder and carries the material around within the guard 20 until it is discharged by centrifugal force through the opening 21. The compressed material or cake is thus broken up or disintegrated as fast as it is delivered from the press. 1

The compression cylinder is provided throughout its length with numerous ports or perforations through which the oil or liquid contained in the material being acted upon may escape as the mate-rial is subjected to pressure during its passage through the compression cylinder. These perforations or ports are formed in nipples 22 which are secured in small holes formed through the wall of the cylinder. These nipples or plugs are arranged in series along the compression cylinder, and the nipples are preferably staggered in succeeding series so that they may be brought comparatively close together without weakening the cylinder. By thus forming each port in a nipple, the ports may be conveniently and economically formed, and may be uniformly distributed along the surface of the compression cylinder, so that the oil or liquid may readily escape from the material throughout its travel along the compression cylinder. The extraction of the oil or liquid may be rendered more rapid and complete by providing for its escape through the screw shaft as well as through the compression cylinder. In the construction shown, the escape of the oil or liquid through the screw shaft is provided for by providing the shaft with a central bore, and with ports or perforations extending from the bore to the surface of the shaft. Since the outer portion of the material is held from rotation by the compression cylinder, the rotation of the shaft puts an effective torsional pressure on the material, particularly along its inner portion. The ports in the shaft, as they trar el over the inner sur face of the material, allow the ready and immediate escape of the oil. In the construction shown, these ports or perforations are formed in plugs or nipples 24 secured in holes in the shaft. The advantages of thus forming the ports or perforations in the shaft are the same as the advantages already explained in connection with the compression cylinder.

\Vhile I prefer to employ the specific construction and arrangement of the parts shown and described, it will be understood that such specific construction and arrangement is not material to the combinations set forth in the claims, except so far as it is recited therein, and that the specific construction and arrangement of the parts maybe varied and modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of press in which the invention may be embodied, what I claim is 1. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a tapered feed chamber the smaller end of which registers with the receiving end of the compression cylinder, and an independently driven feed screw the flights of which fit within the feed chamber, substantially as described.

2. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a tapered feed chamber the smaller end of which registers with the receiving end of the compression cylinder, and an independently driven feed screw fitting the interior of the feed cylinder arranged to force the material into the end of the pressure screw, substantially as described.

3. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a hollow shaft for the screw, and nipples in the shaft provided with ports for the escape of liquids, substantially as described.

4. A. press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, and a cake breaking device arranged at the discharge end of the cylinder and mechanism for rotating said breaking device independently of the pressure screw, substantially as described.

5. A press,'having, in combination, a compression cylinder, at pressure screw within the cylinder, and a rotary scraper mounted at the discharge end of the compression cylinder and mechanism for rotating the scraper independently of the pressure screw, substantially as described.

6. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a rotary scraper mounted at the discharge end of the compression cylinder, and an annular guard surrounding the scraper and provided with a circumferential opening, substantially as described.

7. A press, having, in combination, a com pression cylinder, a pressure screw Within the cylinder, and perforated nipples secured in the wall of the cylinder, substantially as described.

8. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, staggered series of perforated nipples secured in the Wall of the cylinder, and a pressure screw within the cylinder, substantially as described.

9. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, perforated nipples secured in the wall of the cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a hollow shaft for the screw, and nipples in the shaft provided with escape ports for the escape of liquid, substantially as described.

10. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder, a frusto-conical feed cham her having its delivery end registering with the end of the compression cylinder, and an independently driven feed screw fitting within the feed chamber and having a conical periphery, substantially as described.

11. A press, having, in combination, a

compression cylinder, a pressure screw with in the cyllnder, a tapered feed chamber the discharge end of which registers wlth the receiving end of the compression cylinder,

disk and end of the pressure chamber provided with a circumferential opening, substantially as described.

13. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder, a pressure screw within-the cylinder, a hollow shaft for the screw, and perforated nipples secured in the wall of the shaft for the escape of the liquid.

14. A press, having, in combination, a compression cylinder having an interior bore of uniform diameter, longitudinally eX- tending grooves on the inner surface of the cylinder, a pressure screw within the cylinder having a uniformly tapered hollow shaft and having its threads fitting the bore of the cylinder, and perforated nipples secured in the wall of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS G. FOWLER.

Witnesses IRA L. FIsH, N. D". MCPHAIL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

